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Morphotectonics of the Chel River Basin, Eastern Himalaya, India: Insights from Shuttle Radar Topography Mission Digital Elevation Model- Based Geomorphic Indices

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Himalayan Neotectonics and Channel Evolution

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Abstract

The Morphotectonic characteristics of Chel river was examined through the analysis of Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) DEM-based geomorphic indices to investigate the effects of neotectonics on channel characteristics and landform development. The individual and cumulative analysis of geomorphic indices such as Relief Ratio (Rh), Drainage basin asymmetry (Af), Stream length gradient index, Mountain front sinuosity, Basin Shape, Valley floor width to height ratio signify adjustment of Chel river basin to the prevailing tectonics. The elongated basin shape and the derived hypsometric integral value of 0.15 indicate that the basin is in the senile stage and only 15% of the actual landmass is present to be denuded by the erosion agents. The Basin asymmetry factor suggests that the basin is tilted significantly towards the south-west direction in the middle reach but is tilted towards the east in its upper and lower reach. The basin has an irregular mountain front and the derived Smf value of 2.02 implies that the basin falls under the moderate tectonics category. Lower Vf values <0.7 from its source up to mountain front (10 kms approx) suggest the presence of V-shaped valleys due to accelerated vertical erosion induced by landform upliftment. The sudden increase of SL index values even in uniform lithology further indicates the greater role of relative tectonics over lithology. Cross-examination of assessed geomorphic indices with geology confirms the adjustments of river Chel to the differential effects of ongoing tectonic processes over the channel and basin as a whole which has shaped the evolution of the basin to its present-day morphology.

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Acknowledgements

The first author would like to acknowledge the financial assistance received from the University Grants Commission (UGC), through letter no. F.PHW-135/15-16(ERO) dated: 02/12/2016. First author would also like to thank friends Mr. Lenin Rai and Miss Asha Lama from Gorubathan and Malbazaar respectively for taking care of his lodging, fooding and introducing the study area during the initial phase of the field study. We also would like to convey our gratitude to two anonymous reviewers for their critical comments which greatly helped to improve the quality of this manuscript.

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  1. Department of Geography, Darjeeling Govt. College, Darjeeling, West Bengal, 734101, India

    Sonam Lama

  2. Department of Geography, Vidyasagar University, Medinipur, West Bengal, 721102, India

    Ramkrishna Maiti

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  1. Sonam Lama
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Techno India University, Kolkata, India

    Harendra Nath Bhattacharya

  2. Department of Geography, Vivekananda College for Women, Kolkata, India

    Soma Bhattacharya

  3. Department of Geography, Krishnagar Government College, Krishnanagar, India

    Balai Chandra Das

  4. Department of Geography, Aliah University, Kolkata, India

    Aznarul Islam

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Lama, S., Maiti, R. (2022). Morphotectonics of the Chel River Basin, Eastern Himalaya, India: Insights from Shuttle Radar Topography Mission Digital Elevation Model- Based Geomorphic Indices. In: Bhattacharya, H.N., Bhattacharya, S., Das, B.C., Islam, A. (eds) Himalayan Neotectonics and Channel Evolution. Society of Earth Scientists Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95435-2_14

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